Hair loss is quite common in people who are treated with chemotherapy; overall, around 2 in 3 people experience hair loss. Chemotherapy kills lymphoma cells, but it can also destroy healthy cells, particularly those that normally divide quickly. Hair follicles produce hair.
While a few people experience hair loss as a symptom of lymphoma, most experience it as a side effect of treatment. Even though losing hair is a sign that you are taking steps to treat your lymphoma, it can be hard to handle.
Another option is chemotherapy alone (usually for 3 to 6 cycles) in selected patients.
Chemotherapy can cause some damage to the lining of your bowel wall. This can lead to cramping, wind, abdominal swelling and diarrhoea. Be sure to tell the nurses and doctors if you experience any of these symptoms.
Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can cause your hair to fall out, but not all chemotherapy drugs make your hair fall out. It will usually happen within 2 to 3 weeks of starting treatment. Some chemotherapy drugs can make other hair from your body fall out, such as facial hair and pubic hair.
Fortunately, most hair loss from chemotherapy is temporary. Many patients experience an initial thinning or loss within 1-3 weeks of their initial treatment or dose of chemotherapy and by month three the hair loss is often complete.
Many people feel fine for the first few hours following chemotherapy. Usually, some reaction occurs about four to six hours later. However, some people don't react until 12 or even 24 to 48 hours after treatment. Some people experience almost all of the side effects described below, while others experience almost none.
Chemotherapy damages the bone marrow causing a shortage of blood cells in the body. Shortage of white blood cells called neutrophils (neutropenia) increases the risk of infection, and shortage of red blood cells (anaemia) causes tiredness and headaches.
If the lymphoma does not respond to treatment or if it comes back (recurs), high-dose chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant may be an option for some people.
In practice, most people with high grade NHL have treatment as if it is an advanced cancer. This usually means quite intensive chemotherapy treatment with 3 or 4 different drugs, over 6 to 8 months.
Doctors typically use highly aggressive chemotherapy that often require admission to the hospital to treat this subtype of NHL.
Try to stay as healthy as you can before and during treatment. Eat a nourishing food, drink lots of water, get enough sleep, and balance rest and physical activity. Good nutrition and regular exercise can help reduce some of the side effects of chemotherapy.
Treatment for stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma is usually 2 to 4 cycles of chemotherapy. You might also have radiotherapy.
Lymphoma treatment and hair loss
Not everyone who has treatment for lymphoma experiences changes to their hair. Whether you're affected or not depends on lots of factors, including: your treatment (type, dose, and how often you have it), your age, and your overall health, including any other conditions you might have.
There is no reliable way to prevent chemotherapy-related hair loss. Some patients try cooling their scalp during the treatment. But there hasn't been much research on this approach. If you are having chemotherapy, you may lose your hair, depending on which medication is used.
Look into cold caps and scalp cooling systems.
Manual cold caps and scalp cooling systems are tightly fitting hat-like devices filled with a cold gel or liquid coolant that are worn during chemotherapy infusions. These devices have helped many people keep some or quite a bit of their hair during chemotherapy.
Blastic NK cell lymphoma tends to grow very quickly and can be difficult to treat. It can start almost anywhere in the body.
Common side effects
Chemotherapy can cause fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, bowel issues such as constipation or diarrhoea, hair loss, mouth sores, skin and nail problems. You may have trouble concentrating or remembering things. There can also be nerve and muscle effects and hearing changes.
What is the survival rate of non-Hodgkin lymphomas? Studies show that overall, 73% percent of people with these conditions are alive five years after their diagnosis. In general, people diagnosed before the condition spreads live longer than people who are diagnosed after the condition spreads.
One week post-chemo! "They" say that's one of the toughest weeks. The one right after chemo, especially your first round. It's a week of figuring out how your body will respond after the infusions, and it's different for every person.
Short, planned delays in chemotherapy for good-risk GCT patients (less than or equal to 7 days per cycle) appear to be acceptable since they may prevent serious toxicity in this curable patient population. Delays of longer than 7 days are strongly discouraged except in extraordinary life-threatening circumstances.
Some people are able to keep working while they're getting cancer treatment. Some people work their usual full-time schedules. Some work the same schedules under special conditions (accommodations), like being closer to the office bathroom so it's easier to deal with side effects.
Yes. It will take some extra planning and working out who can support you but it's possible to continue living alone when you have cancer. Having cancer and going through treatment raises many challenges and emotions. These may be harder to deal with when you live alone.
Is there any risk to family and friends? You may worry about the safety of family and friends while you are having chemotherapy. There is little risk to visitors (including children, babies and pregnant women) because they aren't likely to come into contact with any chemotherapy drugs or body fluids.
Chemotherapy drugs target cancer cells which stop or slow their growth. A person undergoing chemotherapy should avoid eating undercooked or raw food, interacting with actively infectious people, overexerting themselves, and consuming too much alcohol.